ONSA Begins Five-Day Crisis Response Exercise in Delta to Test Security Readiness

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has launched a five-day multi-agency crisis response exercise in Delta State to test Nigeria’s preparedness for complex emergencies and security-related incidents.

Codenamed Rapid Response 3 Crisis Response Exercise 2026, the simulation began in Asaba on Monday and is scheduled to end on Friday, September 11. It brings together Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in crisis management and emergency response.

The Director of the Presidential Command and Control Centre, ONSA, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, announced the exercise in a statement on Monday, saying it was designed to assess existing response plans, procedures, coordination systems and operational capabilities.

He said the exercise would focus on strengthening inter-agency cooperation, communication, command and control, rapid deployment and the effective management of crisis situations.

Participating agencies will operate across the Gold, Silver and Bronze command levels, in line with Nigeria’s National Crisis Management Doctrine. Ayo-Vaughan said the simulated scenarios were designed to test how quickly agencies can respond, coordinate their operations and manage the consequences of a major crisis.

The ONSA official stressed that the exercise is being conducted in a controlled environment and does not represent an actual emergency or security incident. He said this is the first time ONSA has taken the crisis response exercise outside the Federal Capital Territory, adding that Delta State’s support made the deployment possible.

According to Ayo-Vaughan, the exercise will be conducted in four phases over five days. The first two days will focus on enabler training, Thursday will serve as the main exercise day, while Friday will be dedicated to an after-action review and assessment of lessons learned.

He warned residents to expect increased movement of security vehicles, personnel and emergency response teams around designated areas during the exercise. Public awareness messages have been circulated through SMS and radio to prevent the activities from being mistaken for a genuine crisis.

Ayo-Vaughan also urged the media to rely only on verified information and avoid reports capable of causing unnecessary panic. Only accredited journalists will be allowed to cover the exercise, while safety and security arrangements have been put in place for participants, observers, journalists and members of the public within the affected areas.

He said the exercise would provide an opportunity to identify weaknesses in Nigeria’s crisis management system and improve the country’s collective ability to respond to future emergencies.